Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Torrington, Connecticut

Torrington’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Torrington city limits: the City of Torrington's own zoning regulations apply

  • Zoning is administered by the city's zoning enforcement officer, with the Planning and Zoning Commission hearing interpretation disputes and special exceptions.

  “2.1.4 the word "regulation" means the city of torrington zoning regulations.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts of Torrington city

  • The table of contents lists the districts; the district map and per-district use tables were not opened in this pass.

  “r-wp zone r-60 zone r-40 zone r-25 zone r-15 zone r-15s zone r-10 zone r-10s zone r-6 zone downtown district zone local business zone industrial zone industrial park zone”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single-family dwelling in the R-6 zone inside Torrington city (one dwelling unit on a lot; the R-6 zone is the smallest-lot residential district listed; the main-district determination for other residential zones is not yet verified)

  • Section 4.11 of the same R-6 provisions sets a 7,500 sq. ft. lot size for all other uses in the R-6 zone.
  • Section 1.5.4 allows a single-family dwelling on a lot smaller than required in a residential zone only if the lot was recorded by deed before December 24, 1957 or is in an approved and recorded subdivision, and the owner does not own sufficient contiguous land to make a conforming lot.

  lot size, one dwelling unit (R-6 zone): 6000 sq ft (other uses in R-6 zone: 7,500 sq ft (section 4.11)) · lot width, one dwelling unit (R-6 zone): 60 ft

  “4.10.1 for one dwelling unit on a lot and for one principal dwelling unit and one accessory apartment on a lot: lot size: 6,000 sq. ft. lot width: 60 ft.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single-family dwelling in the R-6 zone inside Torrington city

  • Setbacks for other R-zone districts were not verified in this research pass.

  front yard setback: 25 ft · side yard setback (minimum on one side): 8 ft (total of both sides 20 ft) · rear yard setback: 30 ft

  “front yard setback: 25 ft. side yard setback: minimum of 8 ft. on one side; total of both sides - 20 ft. rear yard setback: 30 ft.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Buildings in the R-6 zone inside Torrington city (building coverage, not impervious surface)

  • Coverage limits for other R-zone districts were not verified in this research pass.

  maximum building coverage ratio: <= 0.4 ratio (R-6 zone only)

  “maximum height: 60 ft. maximum building coverage ratio: 0.4”

• Building heightSpecified

  Buildings in the R-6 zone inside Torrington city

  • Height limits for other R-zone districts were not verified in this research pass.

  maximum height: <= 60 ft (R-6 zone only)

  “rear yard setback: 30 ft. maximum height: 60 ft.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision or resubdivision of land inside Torrington city

  • Subdivision regulations are a separate PDF from the zoning regulations and were not opened.

  “subdivision regulations (pdf) - regulates the subdivision or resubdivision of property within torrington.”

• Permit processPartial

  Zoning permits for construction, moves, and use changes inside Torrington city

  • Only the zoning permit requirement was verified; building permit, fee and inspection steps were not opened.

  “a zoning permit issued by the zoning enforcement officer shall be required before commencing any of the following activities.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Torrington or Litchfield County directly.

• Building permit — Building permits for construction inside Torrington city
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from permits inside Torrington city
• Building code adopted — Building code adoption inside Torrington city
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Torrington city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for new buildings inside Torrington city

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.